Two-piece rodent trap of springy sheet material



Oct. 17, 1950 c. E. COLLING 2,526,199

TWO-PIECE RODENT-TRAP OF SPRINGY SHEET MATERIAL Filed Jan. 24, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l grwwm,

' CELOLLING.

ML W Oct. 17, 1950 c. E. COLLING 2,526,199

TWO-PIECE RODENT-TRAP OF SPRINGY SHEET MATERIAL Filed Jan. 24. 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 swam tom,

Patented Oct. 17,

This invention relatescto. animal. traps, and especially to a two-piece rodentetrap of springy sheet material. The main object of this invention is to providea'low-cost trap that does not depend on bait but which takes advantage of the habits of rodents,- namely; travelling in their respective, usual paths along the bases of walls and into and out of holes in the wall-bases.

a Another object is to provide such mutual co- 7 operation betweenthetwo5 primarily separate par-ts that they retain'one-aiiother in cooperative relation independently of any extrinsic securing means.

Other objects and important features are pointed out or implied in the following details of description, in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a top-plan view of the complete combination or rodent-trap having its parts in the thrown r unset position or relation. I

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the major unit of the trap.

Fig. 3 is Fig. 4 is the trap.

Fig. 5 is the trap.

Fig. 6 is having its relation to animal which attempts to pass therethrough and which imposes its weight upon the pedal of the trap.

Fig. '7 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view along the line 1-1 of Fig. 1.

1 Referring to these drawings in detail, in which, similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views, the invention is described in detail as follows:

a top-plan view of said major unit. a side elevation of the minor unit of a top-plan view of the minor unit of a side elevation of the complete trap parts set or adjusted in the proper In broad terms, the invention comprises the combination of two primarily separate stiff-bendable sheet-metal portions shown separately in Figs. 2 and 4;, and co-operatively united by their inherent securing means at 911-44 (Figs. 1 and 6) in a proper relation to provide means operable by an animal so as to clamp said animal.

More specifically, the invention consists of a major unit, as in Figs. 2 and 3, and a minor unit, as in Figs. 4 and 5; each of these units being separately and primarily formed of blanks of stiff-bendable sheet-material, the major unit comprising a floor I, a springy slotted clamp-jaw 8 which is united with said floor and, is properly curved to extend upward and downward and over and above said floor and to exert a springreceive and entrap a rodent or other I 2 Claims. (crime pressure towards said floor, the majo'r'unit arse comprising Walls Q'united Withand extending upward fromopposite edges of said floor and having animal-receiving openings pedal-portion i l'normally between said openings lit and above'sa-id floor 1, and a narrow springy' portion iZ that extends upward and downward through the clamp-jaws slot" 8a (see figures 1 and filandhas a-catch l3 for trap-setting en'- gageme'nt with thelower edge of a catch-engagingelement 8b of said clamp-jaw 8, pivotal means [4 being provided above said catch l3 to movably secure the latter in an elevated position over said pedal-portion Ii, said pedal-portion ll being operable by weight of an animal thereon for causing said catch I3 to release said clamp-jaw 8 so the latter can strike and clamp said animal on said pedal-portion ll.

One of the walls has an inwardly extending stud 9a thereon, said pedal-portion I I has thereon a laterally extending detent I la, that is engageable with said stud 9a and is releasable from the stud to permit the spring-pressure of the clamp-jaw to force said catch l3 out of engagement with said clamp-jaw 8.

The walls 9 are formed with pivot-bearings 9b in which the pivots l4 are seated, and these pivots are formed integraily with a bridge-bar i217. that is an integral part of the minor unit, as are the elements ll, [2, 12b and I3. The finger-pieces l2b are for tilting the elements H and I2 on the pivots i4 so as to efiect latching engagement at 13 and to raise the detent I la to engage with the stud 9a. This minor unit also includes the detent Ha that is normally engaged with the stud 9a of one of the walls 9, and while the clamp-jaw is held up by engagement of its catch l3,'with the element to of. the clamp-jaw 8, namely, a marginal element of the slot 80.. Pressure of the clamp-jaw B is resisted by theminor element 'until the detent Ha is moved from the position shown in Fig. 6, out of contact with the stud So, as by weight of an animal on the pedal 5 i, .whereupon, the pedal is forced both downward and leftward to the position shown in Fig. '1, this resulting in a sufficient movement of the catch I3 to release the clamp-jaw 8 and permit the latter to'be snapped down by its own spring actionpthereby to grip or clamp any animal that attempts to pass through the openings it and thus imposes its weight on the pedal i i.

In assembling the major and minor units, the clamp-jaw is held up to its position in Fig. 6 by me-'3 through;- said mirlor unit comprising abroadany appropriate means, while the elements [2a and M are turned in proper position under the slot 8a, then passed up therethrough, then turned with the pivots l4 adjacent to the bearings 9b, and the tops of the springy walls are then sprung apart while the pivots M are placed in the respective bearings 9b and while the clamp-jaw 8 is seated between the walls 9 and over the pedal l l, as in Fig. 1.

I have no intention to limit my patent protection to the foregoing precise details of construc tion and arrangement shown and described, for the invention is susceptible of numerous changes Within the scope of the inventive ideas, as implied and claimed.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An animal trap that consists of a major unit and a minor unit separately formed of blanks of stiff-bendable sheet material, the major unit comprising a floor, a springy slotted clamp-jaw that includes a catch-engaging element and is united with said floor and is properly curved to extend upward and downward and above and across said floor and to exert a spring-pressure towards said floor, the major unit also comprising walls united with and extending upward from opposite edges of said floor and having animal-receiving openings therethrough; and said minor unit comprising a broad pedal-portion normally between said openings and above said floor, a narrow springy portion that extends through the clamp-jaws slot and has a catch for trap-setting engagement with said catch-engaging element of said clampjaw, and pivotal means above said catch to movably secure the latter in an elevated position over said pedal-portion, said pedal-portion being operable by weight of an animal thereon for causing said catch to release said clamp-jaw so the latter can strike and clamp said animal when on said pedal-portion,

2. In the animal trap defined by claim 1, one of said walls having at its lower portion an inwardly extending stud thereon, said pedal-portion having thereon a detent that projects toward said one of the walls and is engageable with said stud and is releaseable from the stud to permit the spring-pressure of said clamp-jaw to force said catch out of engagement with said clamp-jaw.

CHARLES E. COLLING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 914,912 Atkins Mar. 9, 1909 1,072,375 Adams Sept. 2, 1913 1,290,697 Banash Jan. 13, 1919 1,580,583 Catlin Apr. 13, 1926 1,826,799 Lehuta Oct. 13, 1931 2,420,371 Hampton May 13, 1947 

